On Sunday, February 11 — as part of “Love Your School Week” — Lawrence Academy students, faculty, and alumni will take part in the Winter Walk, a two-mile march through the city of Boston to raise awareness and funds for ending homelessness. The walk will be followed by a gathering in Copley Plaza, where participants will hear stories from the homeless community, as well as from organizers in the region who are working to prevent and end homelessness in the Greater Boston area.

Robyn Glaser ’86

Robyn Glaser ’86, co-founder of the Winter Walk and vice president of the Kraft Group, has been busy recently. Currently, she is with members of the Patriots staff spearheading a project in Minnesota. The endeavor includes building a TV studio in the Mall of America, creating a fan zone “so people can come and be a part of the studio with us,” bringing in talent, and producing live programming from eight to eight every day during the week leading up to the Superbowl.

However, as busy as Robyn is, she managed to stop by assembly last Thursday to talk more about the upcoming Winter Walk event.

“Those who are in need, whether it’s just a smile, a hug, or good thought, they’re everywhere around you,” she said. “I’m constantly trying to think: how can I make someone happy, how can I just tell them that they matter?”

Winter Walk 2018

According to Glaser, positive impact “can be defined in so many ways”; from looking someone in the eye to offering help, it’s all about finding ways to show that you care and, hopefully, generate real change.

“If we don’t address the issues of those who have less than us, then we cannot build a vibrant economy that creates jobs, affordable housing, reduces crime, and that eliminates the need, the literal need, to join a gang in order to be able to eat,” said Robyn.
“We all have an active role as community members to make sure that those options are nonexistent, and the only way that we can do that is to keep our eyes open, to see what’s around us, and to think about ways that we can make life better for those who have less than us.”

Walking for the Greater Good

The Winter Walk logo

This kind of action is what the Winter Walk is all about.

The event aims to raise awareness and funds for organizations working to provide aid, and this year’s beneficiaries include Boston Healthcare for the Homeless; Y2Y Harvard Square, a shelter dedicated to homeless youth and LGBTQ teens; and the Pine Street Inn, the largest shelter in the Boston area.

“It’s so important to me that I leave every situation I’m in making a positive impact,” Robyn said, who shared a mantra she often turns to: “do good, be good; do better, be better”.